Vehicle ventilator operator



Nov. 21, 1950 Filed June 10, 1949 C. A. SIGEL VEHICLE VENTILATOR OPERATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Invenfor CarZ JZ .flyeZ fltto 7728595 Nov. 21, 1950 c. A. SIGEL 2,530,666

VEHICLE VENTILATOR OPERATOR Filed June 10, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hf. I y; I g I I frwenzfor Nov. 21, 1950 2,530,666

C. A. SIGEL VEHICLE VENTILATOR OPERATOR Filed June 10, 1949 s Sheets-Sheet a Invenzor ventilator whichgives-accessto:the -footspace;

Patented Nov. 21, 1950 PATENT OiFF-ICEL VEHICLEVENTILATOR OPERATOR CarlA; Sigel, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago- Forging and Manufacturing Company, Chicago,-- 11.1., acorporationnf Illinois Application June 10, 1949,, Serial No. 98,270

or-to the lower partof the seating space, of a truckor other vehicle.

Another purpose is to provide an improved ventilator whereby an--'aperture in an outerwall 10 may beopened'and closed readily and efficien-tly from-within the wal1:'-'

Another purpose istoprovide anqimproved' actuating connection ;for the :hinged membersr including ventilatorsz'g Other-purposes will appear vfr'omtime to time 1 in the course-of the specification and-claims;

I illustrate my invention-more or' less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings--where- Figure 1is-aside elevationpfithefront of a; vehicle in which my invention isemployed 7 I Figure -2 is asection on an enlargedsca-le -on the line 22 of Figural, illustratingthe ventia lator closed;

Figure 3 is a similar section illustrating the ventilator open;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-5"of' Figure 1 2,looking inthe directionofthe arrow marked i;

Figure 5 is a section onthe line 4-5 of- Figure 2, 'lookingin-the direction'of the arrow marked 5,", with the ventilator closed;

Figure 6 is aviewsimila'r to Figure 5,"wi;th the ventilator open; and

Figure "7' is a section -on--the line 1-'l *ofiFig- 3 ure 5."

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings Referring to the drawings, -A generally indicates a vehicle, such'as an automobile or truck; I "illustrates the vehicle door and- 2 the vehic e hood'or hood closure; 3 illustrates the fixed cowl-1 structurew The *cowlstructure is shown as pro-- vided with an aperture herein shown as rectangular, but which'may be'made of-any suit 45 able form. This aperture is'defined between a front edge 4a and a rear edge 41). Positioned to the rear of the edge 4b is bracket structure or structures which include ears; 'or brackets- 5 and a flange or flanges G, secured tothe inner 50 surface of the cow-l 3 by'any suitable screws, bolts orsecuring means;generally indic'ated at :1? The bracket structure thus described is-positioned a substantial distance rearwardly of; the "rear edge dbof-the aperture 4.

2 curing means It;

Mountedfo'r rotation on said brackets or flanges 5 is a curvilinear closure support,"generally-indi cated as; 8;

inwardly from the cowl 3 and somewhat rearsize, the purpose ofywhich will later appeany,

Whereas the rearward "and inward part of the v member 8 is shown as *arcuately' formed; a nonend webs I511. The reinforcement "or bracket or support thus formedis shown as secured;,to the support portion by any suitablescrewsor seproportioned that when the support8 is rotated about it's] vertical'pi'vot'll 'totheqposition in which it ,is shown in Figure -2; the closure I1" snuglycloses the aperture 4; its edges overlying j cientl tightclosure is provided when, the parts 1 are movedfr'om the open position of Figure 3130' the closed position of Figure 2;

I find it. convenient to provide an innerv air box '1 within the aperture, a wall oi such air box com-' prising a convenient base-upon whichtoposition thebelow described actuating structure 'for con:

H trolling the position'of the closure !'I.\ It will be understood that theairflcox, as such, may be, eliminated, but some inner ;wall' or supportmust be provided 'for the below described-actuating mechanism; In the structure as shown-the box includes aninner wall 30. shownas generally; parallel withthe cowl wall and spaced several inches inwardly therefrom. When Iemploy an air box, the edge walls 3|, 32 and 33 constitute a convenient support for the rear wall 30, and the air inlet aperture'or space'34 remains open and communicates with the interior of the car.

Posit oned within and preferably removably fig red to the inner surface of the wall 30 Iprolit-may have reinforcements orflanges 9 along its upper-and-1ower edges and has top and bottom ears 10'throughwhiclrany suitable pivot members H may-extend; whereby the support 3 ismounted-ior rotation-aboutagenerally vertical axis; this axis being somewhat Abutting against the ,wall'or portion l5bgisthe closure ll." The parts are so vide a base plate 35. Any suitable screws or bolts 36 may be employed for holding it in position, the details of such bolts not constituting, of themselves, part of the present invention. Extending through the wall I illustrate a han dle, generally indicated as 38. This handle includes a hand-engaging portion or lever 39 and an inwardly extending portion 40 which extends through the plate 35 and has secured thereto an actuating lever 4|. This lever may be secured to the handle, for example, by the nut t2, the parts being so proportioned as to prevent relative rotation of the handle 39 and the lever ll. The lever includes a segmental portion 13, the exterior edge of which is formed with a plurality of notches 44, separated by rounded projections 45. The lever 41 is somewhat inwardly ofiset from the segmental plate 43, as will be clear, for example, from Figures 2 and 3.

46 is a limit stop which may be inwardly oilfset from or formed on the base plate 35. When the parts are in open position the stop is engaged by an end Alia of the segmental plate 43. This limits the movement of the lever d! to the opening position. When the parts are rotated from the open position of Figure 6 to the closed position of Figure 5 the opposite end of the segmental plate, as at 4312, engages the opposite side of the stop 46.

The parts may be adjusted into a number of intermediate positions by the employment of a stop spring generally indicated as St, which has an inner end dead-ended as at El on a proje-"- tion 52 from the elevated portion or escutcheon 53 of the base plate 35. The spring 59 is shown as formed in a spiral, with an elongated or generally tangential free end 55a which terminates in a portion 502) formed to enter selectively any one of the notches 44 of the segmental plate 43. The spring is preferably of sufficient strength to hold the lever ll against unintended movement, with the spring portion 58b entering any one of the notches 44.

The handle rotates about an axis which is perpendicular to a plane in which the axis of the closure I! is included. The rotation of the handle results in a corresponding rotation of the closure, made possible by the use of a connecting rod or pin 68 which has at each end an offset portion 6! terminating in a ball 52. Each such ball is received, respectively, in a socket 63 on the lever ll and a socket 6 mounted on a lug or ear on the supporting structure l4. The aperture !2 permits the connecting pin to move inwardly, outwardly, upwardly and downwardly, in the course of its compound movement, without interfering with the position of the support 8. The parts are so proportioned that when the handle is in the closed position of Figures 2 and 5 the lever 4| has passed over dead center and is held in locked position with the segmental plate 43 in the position of Figure 5, and with the spring 50 exerting a thrust of the member 5% into the terminal notch 44.

It will be realized that, whereas, I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of the invent on are as follows:

In automobiles and, particularly, in larger automotive vehicles, such as trucks, the provision of an entering flow of ventilating air to the interior of the cab is of importance. I find it advantageous to provide an aperture located adjacent the foot level, so that cold outside air will be delivered about the foot of the user and across the heated floor plate. I also find it advantageous to provide a closure for the air inlet which, when open, serves as an air scoop or air directing means, at least to some degree. The employment of a wind box or air directing interior housing is a matter of choice, but I find it advantageous to employ, as a support for the actuating means, a wall which is generally parallel with the cowl wall, which is spaced inwardly therefrom, and which inwardly masks the aperture. In the particular closure means I employ I translate a rotation about a horizontal axis into rotation about a vertical axis by a pin or compression-tension member, having a universal joint at each end. The particular ball-andsocket structure herein shown is convenient, but not obligatory.

Whereas I find it advantageous to move the lever 41 over dead center in the locking position, it will be understood that I may make the spring 58 so powerful as to make movement over dead center unimportant. I consider it important to have th Spring 50 of sufficient strength so that it will hold the parts at any intermediate position, with the closure partly open. When in such position, the air pressure against the closure is not effective to apply any particular turning moment to the handle. There is, therefore, no tendency for the inrush of air to cause an unintended rotation of the handle or an unintended movement of the closure I1.

I claim:

1. In a manually operable ventilator closure for car bodies and the like adapted to be actuated by a rider seated in the car, a deflecting and supporting structure positioned within the car body and including a wall generally parallel with the side wall of the car body and spaced inwardly therefrom, the side wall of the car body having an air inlet aperture aligned therewith, a closure for said air inlet aperture and a support therefor including a movable member having an inner end portion hinged within the car body and outer end portion, to which the closure is secured, adapted to extend outwardly through the air inlet aperture when the closure is in open position, a hinge support positioned within the car body, the inner end of the movable member being pivoted for rotation in relation thereto about an axis lying in a plane generally parallel with but positioned inwardly of the side wall of the car body, and actuating means for the closure including a handle mounted on said wall of the supporting structure for rotation about an axis generally perpendicular to the axis of the movable member, said handle projecting inwardly from the said wall, a lever on the opposite side of said wall mounted for rotation in unison with the handle, and an actuating connection between said lever and said closure including a rod, a universal connection between one end of said rod and the closure, and a universal connection between the opposite end of said rod and the lever.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized by and including a locking connection adapted to lock said closure against unintended movement, said locking connection including a notched segment and a coil spring, the coil spring having a free end positioned and adapted to enter selectively the notches of said segment in looking relationship therewith.

CARL A. SIGEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the rile of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Adams Nov. Holtz June Belden Aug. Chutorash Oct. Dickason Sept. Dean Mar. Dubour Feb.

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